Dr. Victor St. John is a tenure‑track Assistant Professor of Public Policy at The Ohio State University’s John Glenn College of Public Affairs and a faculty affiliate of OSU’s Criminal Justice Research Center. He joined the Glenn College after serving as an assistant professor of criminology and criminal justice at Saint Louis University in the College for Public Health and Social Justice and the School of Social Work.
Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, St. John was shaped by communities that exposed him to a wide range of perspectives and experiences. As a first‑generation college graduate, he came to value the importance of diversity of thought, intellectual curiosity, and public service. His professional journey began in 2010, working directly in the field of criminology and criminal justice, where he observed both the strengths and shortcomings of the system. These experiences, combined with his interdisciplinary training, continue to inform his commitment to evidence‑based solutions and to strengthening the effectiveness of government and policy.
St. John’s research examines the structural and systemic factors that shape outcomes within criminal justice contexts and intersecting areas of public policy and administration. His work has appeared in leading journals such as Public Administration Review, Journal of Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice and Behavior, Race and Social Problems, and Critical Criminology, among others. His scholarship has been recognized with awards from the American Society of Criminology’s Divisions on Critical Criminology and Social Justice, as well as the Time‑Sharing Experiments for the Social Sciences.
Beyond academia, St. John has held roles that bridge research and practice. He served as Director of Research and Analysis for the New York City Board of Correction, supervised youth detention and placement facilities under the NYC Close to Home Initiative, and delivered cognitive‑based interventions with incarcerated youth on Rikers Island as part of the nation’s first social impact bond. He has also contributed to evaluation and technical assistance efforts at the John Jay College Research and Evaluation Center and currently serves as a research scientist at Child Trends. St. John has led projects funded by the U.S. NIJ, HHS, and ED.
St. John earned his PhD in Criminal Justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the City University of New York, where he also completed his MS in Criminal Justice with a specialization in criminal law. He holds a BS in Criminology from SUNY Old Westbury.